The First Wave Of Acura NSX Reviews Are In

2017 Acura NSX (Credit: Honda)

After years of teasing, Honda has finally allowed a select few professional auto reviewers to test out the 2017 Acura NSX. Expectations for the sports car are incredibly high, but admittedly nobody really could count on anything. After all, Honda hasn’t developed a mid-engined vehicle since it crafted the original NSX over 25 years ago.

Adding to the mystery has been the hybrid powertrain, which also boasts a V-6 gasoline engine that is curiously mounted longitudinally. Honda claims it benchmarked the car against an impressive field that includes the Audi R8 V10 Plus, Ferrari 458 and Porsche 911 Turbo. Still, Honda top brass says that it’s looking to carve out a new niche in the sports car segment.

Automobile Magazine concurs that the new NSX is quite different, calling it a “stealth supercar.” According to the reviewer, that involves mixing comfort and extreme performance in a way that makes everything smooth, yet still fun. Sure, you’re not going to fear death itself in the NSX, not like you would with the Viper or other extreme cars, but not everyone loves to stare their mortality in the face each time they climb behind the wheel. Some might say that removes all the fun out of supercars, but that’s definitely subjective.

Also of note, multiple reviewers noted that the engine doesn’t wail or scream, even though it’s mounted right behind the driver’s and passenger’s heads. That means the driver and passenger can actually converse.

2017 Acura NSX (Credit: Honda)

Car and Driver seems to be only mildly impressed with the NSX, saying that with some software fixes it believes the supercar will become something that will wow enthusiasts. It and other publications feel that Honda is pushing forward far too conservatively, highlighting how soft the automaker has become during its hiatus from the sports and super car segments.

Feedback from the reviewers would wisely be taken into account by Honda, which seems interested in becoming edgier than it has been in the past 15 years. The 2017 Acura NSX doesn’t release until the spring of next year, so there’s definitely time to tweak things.